08.04.2008

Marathon favourites go for the double

The annual Canberra Marathon has incorporated an optional 50km ultra marathon each year since 1993. This allows any runner who, after completing the standard marathon distance of 42.195km, to continue and complete the 50km distance. For the third consecutive year, the longer event incorporates the Australian 50km Road Championships.

To date no runner, male or female, has won both the marathon and the 50km in the same year but this Sunday’s race may see the “distance double” achieved for the first time. Runners who are amongst the marathon favourites in both the men’s and women’s category have expressed an interest in also going the longer distance.

Magnus Michelsson, from Melbourne, is back for his sixth Canberra race. He is a dual marathon winner (2005, 2007) and the defending champion. He also won the 50km ultra in 2002 but finished third in the marathon in that year.

Michelsson’s  time last year (2.20.55) was his fastest in Canberra and ranked him number six in Australia for 2007. Rowan Walker, winner of the Melbourne Marathon and favourite for the Asics Marathon Eve 10km on Saturday afternoon, was the only Australian to run faster on Australian roads.

Challenging Michelsson in both the marathon and 50km will be Andrew Walters, David Criniti and Mark Tucker.

Andrew Walters, from the NSW north coast, ran sixth in the Auckland Marathon last October and backed up to finish fourth in Lake Kawaguchi in November. He will be trying to improve his marathon personal best of 2.26.42, which he set when he was second in Melbourne in 2005.

Sydney’s David Criniti ran a great race last year to finish third, before continuing and claiming victory in the 50km and intends doing the double again this year.

The biggest threat to these established marathon runners may come from Geelong’s Mark Tucker, who intends to enter late and will be making his marathon debut. He also intends running the 50km.

Tucker has represented Australia in the World Half Marathon Championships and last year won the Launceston Ten in 28.37, the fastest 10km road time in Australia for the year. Only Craig Mottram ran faster with his 28.25 in New York City. In fact Mark’s time is the fastest in Australia since Mottram won the Burnie Ten in 28.25 in 2003.

Jeremey Horne and Anthony Farrugia, both of Sydney, will also be amongst the challengers, particularly as they are focused simply on the marathon distance.

Horne, winner of the 2006 Christchurch Marathon, is a consistent Canberra place getter - his fastest Canberra time is 2.27.14 for fourth in 2004 but he also has a third place to his credit, as well as another couple of fourths.

Farrugia won the Six Foot Track Ultra last year in record time and could spring a major surprise on Canberra roads on Sunday.

If none of the men manage the marathon/50km double, maybe Canberra’s Jackie Fairweather will do so in the women’s category. Fairweather had a remarkable career as an elite athlete, including victory in the 1996 World Triathlon and World Duathlon Championships and a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

She is now in active retirement but remains very competitive – she recently set a W40 world record for the one hour run and the Australian 50km record is in her sights.

The 50km record was set in Canberra in 1999 by Victorian Sandra Timmer-Arends, who went through the marathon distance in 2.48.25 on her way to setting the 50km record of 3:23.22.

Over the marathon distance, Jenny Wickham, Tina Major and Verity Tolhurst are the most likely challengers. Wickham and Tolhurst, both from Sydney, have previously broken 2.50 while Western Australian Major, winner of the 2007 Perth Marathon, is seeking to bring her time down from 2.52.02 to the mid 2.40s.

The field in the marathon, which starts at 7am on Sunday at the Telopea Park School, is likely to exceed 1100 for the first time since 1985. Almost 1000 pre-entries have been received and 150 late entrants are expected on the weekend.

Support events include the Asics Marathon Eve 5km at 3pm on Saturday, followed at 4pm by a 10km run. On Sunday almost 400 children will also participate in the Kids Marathon, which starts at 8am.

Late entries are welcome in the fun runs and marathons but entries have closed for the Kids Marathon. For further information and entry forms click here